THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 14

THE BOOK OF GENESIS  CHAPTER # 14 !!!!!
14:1__24 _Abram's Rescue of Lot. After separating from Abram and settling in Sodom, Lot is taken captive by an alliance of four kings who invade the Jordan Valley and defeat a local confederation of five kings. When Abram learns of his nephew's abduction from Sodom, he marshal's a small force and, after pursuing the invaders northward, successfully recovers Lot a large quantity of plunder. Abram's subsequent encounter with the kings of Sodom and Salem provides an interesting insight into his future aspirations in light of God's promises. Although Abram can compete militarily against powerful kings, he rejects the use of power to achieve God's purpose. Thus he does not use force take control of the land of Canaan. This section falls into three parts: (1) _verses 1__12, the events leading up to Lot's abduction; (2) _verses 13__16, Lot's rescue by Abram; and (3) _verses 17__24, Abram meeting with the kings of Sodom and Salem.
14:1__12 _Alternative names are given in this passage for a number of locations. This suggests that an older account has been reworded for inclusion here in Genesis.
14:1__3 _A brief summary introduces the rival alliances of king. Such alliances were a common and recurring aspect of politics in the ancient Near East. The kings mentioned here have not yet been identified in sources outside the Bible, but their names correspond with known names or name types appropriate to the regions from which they may have come. Shinar is Babylonia (See 10:10). The location of Ellasar is uncertain, although the king's name, Arioch, is found in texts from the ancient cities of Mari and Nuzi; this might suggest that Ellasar is in northern Mesopotamia. Elam was an ancient state lying to the east of southern Babylonia. Tidal is possibly a Hittite name. Goiim in Hebrew means "nations." Zoar probably lay at the southern edge of the valley of Jericho (See 19:22__23). 
14:3 _The Salt Sea is the Dead Sea.
14:4 _After twelve years of subjugation, the kings of the Jordan Valley gain independence for one year.  
14:5__7 _Under the leadership of Chedorlaomer, the invading kings display their military strength by defeating a number of different tribal groups. The six locations reveal that the invaders moved Southward along the king's highway in Transjordan as far as the Gulf of Aqaba before turning northward, eventually arriving at Hazazon-tamar (verse 7), also known as Engedi (See 2 CHRONICLES 20:2). When this episode was edited for inclusion in Genesis, En-mishpat was known as Kadesh.   
14:8__11 __The five kings of the Jordan Valley fail to repel the alliance of eastern kings. Consequently, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are plundered.
14:12 __Paralleling the general report of (verse 11), this verse records the abduction of Lot and his possessions from Sodom.  
14:13__16 _Abram the Hebrew. This is the first occurrence of the term "Hebrew" in the Bible and is probably used here to denote the ethnicity of Abram (See 10:21_+32). Dan (14:14). The town of Laish in northern Canaan was renamed "Dan" in the period of the judges (JUDGES 18:29). The use of the name "Dan" here indicates that this account was edited sometime later (See GENESIS 14:1__12). (Dan is to be identified with Tel Dan, a site extensively excavated since the 1960s. A large and significant settlement has been uncovered here from the Middle Bronze Age [2000-1500 B. C.]. A monumental mud-brick arched gateway was found from this time; it is the earliest of its kind ever found). 
14:14 - trained men. The Hebrew word for "trained men" is found only here in the OT. The context implies that they may have had some military training. 
1415 - A nighttime assault enables Abram's forces to overcome their opponents who flee northward.  
14:17__24 - By contrasting Abram's reactions to the king of Sodom and Salem, this passage underlines his reliance on God rather than on military might in order to gain possession of Canaan. Although God has promised the land to Abram, the patriarch will not adopt violent strategies in order to obtain it. 
14:17 - The king of sodom greets Abram on his return. The Vally of Shaveh, also known as the King's Valley, lay to the east of Jerusalem (See 2 SAMUEL 18:18). 
14:18 - Melchizedek (which means "king of righteousness", See HEBREWS 7:2) generously provides a meal for the returning victors. Salem is possibly a shorted version of "Jerusalem" (See PSALM 76:2) and is related to shalom, the Hebrew word for "peace" (See HEBREWS 7:2). He was priest of God Most High. Although very little is known about Melchizedek, he provides an interesting example of a priest-king linked to Jerusalem. There appears to have been an expectation that later kings of Jerusalem should resemble him (See PSALM 110:4). The book of Hebrews presents Jesus Christ, from the royal line of David, as belonging to the "order of Melchizedek" and therefore superior to the Levitical priest (HEBREWS 5:5__10; 6:20__7:17). "God Most High" in Hebrews is 'El 'Elyon. 'El is the common Semitic term for "God." To this is added the attibute 'Elyon, meaning "Most High." Elsewhere in Genesis other attibutres are added to 'El (GENESIS 16:13 "God of seeing" translates 'El Ro' I, in 17:1 "God Almighty" translates 'El Shadday; in 21:33 "Everlasting God" translates 'El 'Olam). These different names highlight different aspects of God's nature.  

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CAPTER # 13

THE BOOK OF GENESIS CHAPTER # 13
13:1__18 _Abram and Lot Separate. Expelled from Egypt, Abram retraces his steps nothward, through the Negeb, back to the hill country between Bethel and Ai where he had previously built an altar (12:8). Competition for pasture soon leads to strife between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. When Abram magnanimously offers Lot first chose of the land, Lot opts for the fertile Jordan Valley. Afterward, the Lord reaffirms that Abram's descendants will possess all of Canaan.
13:2__6 _These verses emphasize the wealth of both Abram and Lot, describing how the hill country east of Bethel is unable to sustain the livestock of both men.
13:7 _The pressure on pastureland may well have been increased by the fact that the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. (See 12:6)  
 13:10 _the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere. Lot's experience with the effects of famine (12:10, probably from drought) makes his choice of the fertile Jordan Valley understandable. like the garden of the Lord. A reference to the garden of Eden, which was also well watered (See 2:10). This description of the Jordan Valley predates the distruction of Sodem and Gorrorrah, which may have adversely affected the suitability of this area for flocks and herds. The precise location of these cities is unknown; one possibility is the plan Southeast of the Dead Sea.
13:11__13 _Lot's decision to settle among the cities of the valley brings him into the vicinity of Sodom. Lot is later found living in the city (See 14:12; 19:3__11), having abandoned his tent-dwelling lifestyle. After parting company from Abram, Lot now resides close to a city whose population is described as wicked, great sinners against the Lord (chapters 18__19).
13:14__17 _Expanding on 12:7, this divine speech emphasizes not only the extent of the land that Abram's descendants will inherit but also how numerous they will be.As the dust of the earth 13:16) is one of three similes used by God to illustrate the large number of offspring that Abram will have (15:5; 22:17). At this stage, Abram still has no children. 
13:18 _Abram relocates to near Hebron (also known as Kirath-aba; see 23:2), setting up his tent by the oaks of Mamre. Since one of Abram's allies is "Mamre the Amorite" (14:13), the oaks are probably named after him (See 12:6). altar. See 12:7. During the Middle Bronze Age (2000__1500 B. C.), when the patriarchs lived, Hebron was, for its day, a major settlement in the Judean hills. It covered between six and seven acres, was heavily fortified, and contained some large public buildings. A cuneiform tablet discovered there from this time period indicates that Hebron was a capital city of a Canaanite kingdom.